Spelt Sourdough

People have asked me what they could be eating to make themselves feel better and they have also been asking me for recipes.  So maybe if I bring to you some of the recipes I use for my family it will reflect the research I have being doing therefore, if you take my word for it, you can skip the research and get straight to the cooking!

Pre life change I used to buy Helgas bread, we ate about four loaves a week as a family of four.  It was a staple.  I can live with minimal bread and I can live without it too.  My husband and my kids cannot.  If I don't make some bread they will buy the Helgas stuff.  So I came up with this recipe after a few trials and errors, remember the Facebook pictures of the freaky loaves of bread?  Well I think I've pretty much nailed it, we enjoy it and those who have tasted it like it too.  I thought sourdough was flash and hard but its not.  I thought spelt was fancy too but it's just a more ancient form of wheat that hasn't been messed about with so much.  Spelt behaves the same as normal wheat so you can substitute spelt for the same amount as normal flour in any recipe.  If the recipe calls for self raising flour you can just add two teaspoons of baking powder (aluminium and gluten free of course snort).  I have a Thermomix so I'll add that too to save you converting. 

You need to start this three days before you want to eat the bread so be organised.  First of all mix 200g spelt flour and some water in a little container to make a slurry, thick or thin doesn't matter.  Leave it on the work top with the lid off and covered with muslin (I use an old pair of tights cut up with an elastic band around).  Leave it for one to three days to go foamy, sour smelling and with air bubbles and voila that's your sourdough starter.  I add more flour and water to my starter when I make my bread and then stick in in the fridge until I want it again.  If it gets liquid on top that's normal, that's called hooch and it just means its used all the food up, just pour off the hooch and feed it again (water and flour).

Ingredients

• 200g sourdough starter
• 750g mix of wholemeal and white spelt
• 400g warm water
• 30g olive oil
• 3 teaspoons of salt (helps preserve bread)

Method

1. Add all of the ingredients in a big bowl and mix  until the dough comes together.  If it is a bit wet add more flour, if its a bit dry add more warm water.  TM: Mix for 20 seconds on speed 5.
2. Knead dough for a five minutes on a flour dusted surface.  TM place dial on locked and knead for 3 minutes on interval speed.
3. Line two loaf tins with wet and wrung out baking paper.
4. Split the dough into the two tins
5. Leave somewhere warm for 9-12 ish hours to ferment and prove.  I usually leave mine on the bench with a teatowel over it and it stays there overnight.
6. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees.  Bake for 50 minutes until the top goes golden.  Then carefully tip out of loaf tin, remove baking paper and pop back into the oven for 10 minutes until the bottom of the bread gives a hollow sound when knocked.

Enjoy!